With a name like "The Great Pyramid" what do you think this map is all about? No, not unicorns, fairies, or little peopleÖ Right! An Egyptian map, and not a bad one either.

Marco Sabbadini placed a big pyramid on the map, cut a labyrinth of tunnels (and some small rooms) through it, including a tall, narrow, winding tunnel (somewhat hidden) to get to the Pharaohs tomb and the nuke. There is also an outdoor area with room to move around, in contrast to the close quarters inside. Inside the pyramid things get a little confusing. Everything looks pretty much the same, but if you played the map for awhile, you could probably find enough subtle differences to find your way around. There is an underground water tunnel, good for getting around without being seen, and a sniper post that is about midway up on the pyramid.

One thing that bothers me about this 8-12 player map is the lack of bots inside. They seem to pool outside for a fragfest, instead. You end up running around for awhile inside, maybe getting a frag or so, but if you get killed and spawn inside again, it seems to put you farther and farther behind in the points. I kept trying to make it outside ASAP so I could keep my frag count up.

The textures were Egyptian-like. The author did a good job sticking to the theme. Hieroglyphics, sandstone, and the right style of skybox was used. Good job on all this stuff.

I didn't notice any problems with the bots. The swinging doors you go through to get to the sniper rifle causes problems with me, but I never got a chance to see how the bots did with it. The doors only swing one way, and you have to bump them and move out of their way in time so they will open if you want to come back in. I usually got killed as I camped at the post before all this happened. The item placement was given careful consideration: The sniper rifle is up high, the nuke takes time to get, plus you really need to make it all the way outside with the sucker unless you're planning on going down with the ship. Not too much health, or power-ups; just about right.

The lighting was pretty good as well. Torches do their thing inside, and the lighting around them is the correct color. Outside the sunny sky looks very believable, and the tunnels grow dim and brighter as you pass by nearby light sources. Music was provided, and some echoes can be heard inside the pyramid. I didn't hear any torch sounds, which would have been nice.